Stephanie's Worst Nightmare Continues 2
by babesrus2
Summary: This is a sequel to Stephanie's Worst Nightmare. Stephanie hoped that her problems would be solved when she was released from custody, but her hopes are dashed. A Babe HEA.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I am only borrowing the characters. I am not making any money from this, only enjoyment. **

**If you are scratching your heads in confusion, so am I. I got caught in the mess of the shut downs on Fan Fiction over the long weekend and my Babesrus account is somehow frozen. I have called on technical support and so far they have not responded. I am re-posting the first five chapters on my new site and then continuing on. For information, I have three and ½ stories on my old site. This is a sequel to 'Stephanie's Worst Nightmare'.**

The Nightmare Continues

Her diamond ring sparkled in the morning light. Stephanie shifted slightly and Ranger wrapped his arms around her again. It had been a long night of celebrating. His Babe had said "Yes", and he was the happiest man in the world. His cell phone rang and Ranger reached over Stephanie to answer it. "Talk", came a gruff response. Ranger gently dislodged Steph as she sprawled across his chest. He listened to the conversation. "Be down in 10", standing up as he hung up.

Stephanie groaned. What ungodly hour was it anyway? Groggily she watched as Ranger got out of bed quickly heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. Returning scant minutes later clad only in a small towel around his waist, he sat on the bed quickly dressing. Knowing he would tell her when he was ready, she slid from the bed stumbling her way to the bathroom to take care of business. Ranger stood up, walked to the closed door and said, "I have a meeting in a few minutes, Babe. I need you downstairs as soon as you can make it." She grimaced and turned on the shower. This did not sound good. She was dressed and downstairs fifteen minutes later.

Walking into the conference room, she noticed the entire core team assembled with files in front of them and very serious expressions on their faces. She sat down on Ranger's right and opened the file folder in front of her. Putting her hand to her mouth, she gasped. There, in front of her were the pictures of Mary Werrick and Gary Gaspick. Stephanie looked up and listened as Ranger spoke. "Okay, what do we have?" Cal spoke up. "Since they were bonded out a month ago, we have been doing drive byes periodically. Last night, we drove by at midnight, and the lights on both houses were on. We did another drive by at four am and the same lights were on. Vince and Zero just reported twenty minutes ago that the lights are still on, but the cars are missing. Just in case, Vince phoned the residences. He is only getting voicemail. They are still outside Gaspick's house waiting for instructions. " Ranger nodded. He had suspected that something might happen. They had agreed to all the conditions that Les Sebring had stipulated before he would bond them out way too fast for his liking. Now, it appeared that the accused had flown the coop.

Stephanie couldn't contain her question any longer. "Excuse me Ranger. Can we go after them yet, or is it in the hands of the TPD?" Ranger responded," They had certain conditions to be adhered to. We were given a list of the conditions for release and since they have been broken, we have the authority to find them and return them to jail." Looking back at the men he ordered, "I need eyes and ears on the street. Hector, check with the gangs. Remind them how serious it is harboring a fugitive. Manny, check with Mr. Orr. Confirm that Dickie is in the house where he is supposed to be. Tank, I need you to check with the D.A. Advise him of the situation. Maybe he might hear something about the judge through the legal circles." He paused. "Any questions, dismissed." There was a scraping of chairs and everyone stood up. Ranger looked at Stephanie. "Please stay for a minute, Babe."

The room quickly emptied. Stephanie remained seated, a small worry line working its way along her forehead. Ranger slid his chair over to her and took her hand in his. He looked at her, and she knew there was more. "OK, Ranger, I'm a big girl. Tell me what's wrong." Ranger rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, hypnotically. He looked at her and spoke, "I want you to stay at Rangeman until we find them, Babe. You will be safe here. I don't want you going outside by yourself, or even with a bodyguard." Her mouth opened in confusion. "Why?" He sighed and played with her ring. Ranger picked her up and set her on his lap. He kissed her gently on her ear, down her jaw line and finally reached her lips. She pulled back. "I need to know what it is, Carlos."

He wrapped his arms around her again and cradled her against his chest. "I can't give you many details right now, Babe, but we were advised that when Werrick and Gaspick were led away after being charged, Gaspick made some threatening remarks about getting even with you if it was the last thing he did". The deputies marked it down but mentioned that people say really stupid things like that when faced with trials and jail time. Stephanie sat quietly, but her expression was troubled. It was not over. She knew that her nightmare was going to continue. "We'll get them, Babe." Ranger stood her up and hand in hand they walked to the door. "We'll get them."

Hand in hand, they strolled into the control room. Most of the employees were either milling around, in the break room or on monitors. Ranger cleared his throat. Immediately there was silence on the floor. Ranger smiled and kissed Stephanie. He looked around at his employees. His eyes twinkled. "Last night I asked Stephanie for her hand in marriage. She has graciously accepted. Let me introduce you to the future Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manosa." Cheers erupted from the room. Tank and Lester elbowed each other. Lester fought his way to Stephanie. Hugging her, he whispered, "Welcome to the family. If you ever tire of him, you know where I am." She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Les. I don't think that will ever happen, but thanks for the offer." Tank pulled her away from Les and also hugged her. "Congratulations, Little Girl. You two deserve each other. All I can say is, it's about time." Stephanie smiled and reaching up as far as she could, kissed him on the chin. Manny hugged her to him. "Gee, wifey, can I still call you that?" Stephanie laughed and nodded yes. Stephanie was being passed around the room, hugged and/or kissed by everyone. Manly slaps on the back and shoulder greeted Ranger. His normally serious expression was replaced by a goofy grin. There were the usual remarks about the size of the ring. Finally, the crowd dispersed. Ranger headed to his office and Stephanie walked to her cubicle. A magnificent bouquet of flowers resided on her desk. There was a card. Stephanie sat down and took the card out of the envelope. In his powerful handwriting style, Ranger had written, "My love forever." Stephanie smiled. Picking up the vase, she took the flowers up to seven.

Manny sat at his cubicle talking to Mr. Orr. He had just confirmed that Dickie was indeed still at the house. Not providing them with an explanation, Manny thanked him for his time and hung up. He thought back to the conversation. In addition to listening to Mr. Orr's words, he also concentrated on his tone of voice. He sincerely hoped that Dickie was a good boy and stayed there. He would have hated to have had that man as a father. Manny reported his findings to Tank.

Hector slipped out of the building and was cruising his neighborhood. He stopped in for lunch with his mother, chatted with his sisters, held his nieces and nephews, rough housed with his younger brother, and mowed the lawn. All the time, his eyes and ears were open, listening for any tidbit of information. Just as he was packing up to go, he heard his oldest nephew on his cellphone. Now in stealth mode, Hector sidled past the door and stopped to listen. Jesus was cupping the cellphone in his hand and speaking rapidly. From his side of the conversation, Hector could tell that something was about to happen that night. He walked away. Saying good bye to his family, Hector climbed into his truck. He needed a nap. It was going to be a long night.

Meanwhile, back at police headquarters, the hallways were abuzz with officers stopping and speaking with colleagues. Gaspick's name was on everyone's lips. The members all knew of Picky's hatred of Stephanie and how he had allegedly played a part in her being sentenced to prison. Carl and Big Dog were standing together chatting with a number of patrolmen discussing the issue at hand. They had been told of the APB (All Points Bulletin) with respect to Mary Werrick and Gary Gaspick. In addition to their regular list of activities for the day, the duty Sargeant had asked everyone to be on the lookout for either their cars, or hopefully them. They were to be treated as armed and dangerous. The patrolmen had been cautioned that Rangeman Securities was also on the job searching for the pair.

Carl and Big D wandered away, and stepped into an abandoned office. After a quick game of rock, paper, scissors, Big Dog picked up the phone and punched in a number. After only one ring, there was an answer. "What the hell do you want?" came a quick retort. Big Dog quickly gave a summary of what had transpired over the past few days. Listening carefully, he heard, "I'll see what I can do." There was a click and the soft dial tone in his ear. Big Dog cradled the phone, and looked over at Carl. "We'll see what happens now." They quickly left the office and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: You know, this would be so much easier if Janet gave me Ranger.**

Merry Men and Their Schedules

Stephanie walked back to her desk. Ella had been in their apartment when she dropped off the flowers. Hugging her, Ella congratulated her on her engagement. Stephanie blushed. They had left the apartment quickly and looking around, she felt embarrassed that Ella had walked into the mess. Ella laughed at her discomfort. "Don't worry about it. You have a job to do." She was picking up laundry and changing the sheets on the bed. Coming out of the bathroom with a load of towels, Ella dumped them in the cart. She came over to the flowers and smelled them. "Carlos asked me to get them for you. He was hoping you would say Yes. " Getting ready to leave the apartment, she turned back to Stephanie. "Stephanie Dear, I want to cater your reception. Our family has been so hopeful that Carlos would finally find someone special. I know that both of you love each other very much. The family is just waiting for this ugly mess to be over and we will celebrate your engagement in style. You have not been to a Cuban party of the Manosa family yet. You will meet the whole family. " Stephanie backed up in horror. Ella laughed. "We don't bite, dear. Be prepared though. They will be asking when you plan on a family. Just remember. I get first dibs on babysitting my newest nieces and nephews." Stephanie put her hands up in defence. "One step at a time, Ella. I'm not even sure we want children."

Leaving the flowers on the dining room table, Stephanie walked back out to the elevator. She had a busy day ahead of her. Arriving at her cubicle she spied her over-flowing in-box. She noticed a cup of coffee and a bagel sitting just off to the side. Smiling, she took a sip and a bite as she grabbed the first file. Life was almost back to normal. Sitting down and signing onto her computer she noticed the paper taped to her screen. She groaned to herself. Printed on the sheet was her new revised work-out schedule from Bobby. Taped beside it was a note from Ram with her gun range practice schedule. Noting that she was due for the gun range in an hour, Stephanie set to work. By the time Ram came to collect her, her basket was half empty and a neat pile of completed searches sat waiting for retrieval. Quickly sending a text to Tank, Rodriguez and Ranger that their searches were ready to be picked up, she stood up. Ram smiled and led the way. He was going to get this started while the Bomber was in a good mood. He figured that by the end of the session, his name would be in her bad book. Today was long rifles.

Dickie prowled around the house. The ankle bracelet chaffed his right leg. He longed to get into his car and drive somewhere, anywhere, but the conditions forbade going out the front door, and only to the fence in the back. He was not allowed to take a swim, have a bath, or immerse the leg in the water. He had to wrap his leg in a bag to shower and had to phone into the police department every morning before 10 am. He tried to stay out of the way of his father and did not come down before he left for work in the morning. The staff in the house were cool to him, but his requests for food, drinks or reading materials were delivered with professionalism. He had met with his lawyer a number of times and he was not hopeful of a happy ending when his trial came up. Only his mother came to visit him in his suite. She fussed over him like a child and sighed as they sat in chairs on the patio drinking coffee. He could tell he was the embarrassment his father had threatened he would turn out to be.

Dick asked why his father had come to check on him so early this morning. His mother took a handkerchief from inside her cuff and started to wring it back and forth. "A man from Rangeman phoned us wanting us to confirm that you were here. Your father came up to your room, checked on you and told them you were sleeping in your room." Dickie seethed in anger. On top of it all, he now had to deal with those thugs bothering him as he slept. Would it ever end? Unfortunately, he knew the answer to that question. They would probably phone and drive by until he was convicted and then carted off to prison. He thought about how bad it might get. His father had carefully spelled out what kind of sentence he would probably be looking at if he was found guilty and Dickie did not really want to think about that. He thought of what Stephanie had gone through, and started to get nervous all over again. He had royally screwed up big time and could not see how money or plea bargaining would get him out of this mess. He wondered if his father kept a gun in the house?

Mary and Gary climbed out of the car stiffly. They had sneaked out after seeing the 4am drive by and carrying a small bag each, had met in the motel rear parking lot. Leaving their cars behind the building, they climbed into the rusty, dented Grand Am waiting for them. Throwing their bags into the back, Gary started the car and carefully crept out of the parking lot, turning on the lights after hitting the road. They stopped for a quick breakfast at a drive thru and headed out of town. They wanted distance before they were discovered missing, and where better to hide than a big city. Gary had friends he could call on, and Mary had a safety deposit box filled with cash under an assumed name in a bank there. The drive was mostly made in silence. Each thought of the ramifications of their actions, and what would happen if they were caught. Mary was under no illusions her career was over and all she wanted to do was get out of the country. There were a number of countries that money talked and if she was lucky she could get to one of them soon. Gary's thoughts were more sinister. He wanted revenge, and he had the resources to do it. He smiled.

Stephanie grumbled her way back to her cubicle. She was holding an ice pack against her shoulder and grimacing. Ram walked back with her. He was trying to soften the angry glances she kept shooting at him. "I told you it would kick a bit. You have to hold your shoulder tight against the stock so you don't get blowback like that," Ram coached. Stephanie took the ice pack and threw it at him, wincing at the movement. "You know I hate long guns, Ram. My arms are too short to grasp it properly. Why can't you get me one with a shorter stock? Better yet, if we get into a situation where a long gun is needed, why don't you just shoot the bastard for me?" Ram, realizing that it was time to vacate her personal space, reached in, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You did really well today. All your shots hit the target and even two close to the bulls eye." Stephanie smiled at him sweetly. "That's because I visualized your face laughing at me, Ram." His smile disappeared and he took off.

Checking her schedule for the rest of the day, she continued on to the break room to pick up a bottle of water and something to eat. Standing in front of the refrigerator containing all the sandwiches and fruit, she chose a roast beef on rye and an apple. Sitting at the first table, she prepared to dig in. Her view became obstructed by a very large black mass. Looking up, she smiled at Tank. He sat down. Her messy ponytail was loose at her neck, and a tendril of hair hung down over an ear. Smiling, he chided her gently. "Little Girl, it's not nice to scare your instructors. Ram took off like a deer in hunting season just now. I need him to go on surveillance, and he told me, "Not with Steph!"

She sighed and explained what had just happened. Tank laughed. "Point taken, Bomber. I will check into it and order you one. I can't be having my best sniper and our distraction expert refusing to work together." With a pat on her sore shoulder he got up and left the room. Hal and Cal came into the break room, selected some food and sat down at her table. They bantered back and forth. Really, the Burg grapevine had nothing on the Rangeman grapevine. Word was already out about her range lesson and the fact that Ram had taken off suddenly became all too funny to the guys. They might be big, tough guys, but underneath they still loved a good prank. She suspected that Ram might be getting some pictures of her with a shit eating grin in his mailbox soon. All too soon, her break was over and time to go back to work.

**Thanks for the reviews. A special thank you to my betas. Two extra eyes are good, four are even better. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Honest Janet, I won't keep them.**

Plum Determined

Ranger sat in his office with the file in front of him. If they could catch those clowns, Rangeman stood to gain a pretty penny from Les Sebring. Now, all he had to do was find them. He suspected that Gary was the brains behind the disappearing act and would probably tap Mary for expenses. Trying to put himself in their shoes he suspected that they would take off out of town at the first opportunity. First though, Rangeman had to find those cars. Gary's car was an old Chevy Nova, brown and very rusty. On the other hand, Mary's car was a bright yellow Lexus. Her car would stand out anywhere. His mind drifted back to the amount of investigation they had done to obtain information and interview witnesses while trying to free Stephanie. Picking up the phone he called Frank.

Frank was at the club playing poker. He excused himself from the round and opening up the cell phone, said hi as he walked to the end of the room. Ranger quickly gave him a condensed version of the previous nights activities and asked if he could get his cab buddies to check around for him. Frank agreed immediately, said goodbye and promptly got back on the phone. After a quick conversation with the dispatcher, Frank returned to the game and took his place. His eyes had a hard, determined look to him and his easy demeanor had disappeared.

Hector rolled out of bed just after noon. After a quick shower, coffee and his favorite spicy Spanish omelet at the diner down the street, he drove to the Rangeman building. Parking in his usual spot, he headed for the elevator and fifth floor. As luck would have it, the door opened on five and waiting to go down were Tank and Ranger. They were dressed for a take down. Stepping out, Hector asked ,"Do you have a minute, Ranger. I have information that I think you need to hear." Tank and Ranger immediately turned around and headed to Ranger's office. After Tank closed the door, and leaned against it, Hector stood in front of Ranger as he now sat behind his desk. " I have much news. The Mighty Voices are bragging that their man got away. They take credit for the car they stashed. He has left town but will re-surface when the time comes to claim his rightful place." Hector's next sentence came as a shocker. "I hear that the hit has not been completed and our Chica's life is still in danger. Since the girls in prison did not do their job, the main gang are taking it upon themselves to complete the assignment." Everyone knew that Stephanie had taken a number of them into the police station when they were FTA's. Hector swallowed painfully. He had heard a number of the plans. He hoped that their protection would be enough. Ranger congratulated him on his mission. "Hector, can you keep checking, but be careful. You are playing a dangerous game, my friend." Walking to the elevator, Ranger, Tank and Hector headed to the garage. Hector left in his truck and Ranger and Tank left in theirs.

Eddie came off shift. As he sat tiredly in front of his locker, he overheard Carl and Big Dog talking softly down the next row. Standing up and walking down the row very quietly, he listened as they rehashed the conversation. "I don't care, Big D. He said he would do what he could. I know he still loves her. I think he had to leave so he didn't have to see them together. " More whispers were heard. Then a louder response. "Did anyone ever find out what he is doing there? You know, he goes into deep cover for long periods of time. He could just be getting set up. I hope we don't flush his chance by calling him about this." A door opened and a group of officers came into the room. Eddie quickly headed back to his locker and sat down. There was a bunch of back slapping going on and he could hear Big Dog and Carl congratulate the officers on a successful car chase. Eddie finished dressing and closed his locker. He made lots of noise. He came around the corner, said hi to the men and strode to the door. He wanted to talk to someone.

Grandma Mazur sat on a chair at the funeral home. She shook her head slowly. Since Stiva had been sent to the big house forever, the place had fallen into disrepair. There had been a number of people and companies who had purchased the building, but little was done to bring it back to the luster Con had maintained. Sensing movement beside her, she glanced sideways to see her best friend, Margaret Holloway sit down heavily. Margaret was a younger woman than Edna, but life had not been kind to her. She had bad knees and hips and her back was bowed . Her eyesight was also failing. What had not failed her was her hearing. After their usual complaints about the cookies and tea, Margaret asked if Edna was still looking for information on that judge lady they had been looking for.

Edna, who was always up for something juicy to pass on, said she was still taking information. Margaret then related that the evening before, she had to get up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break and had heard a noisy car driving down her street. Looking out she noticed it was a bright yellow car. She hadn't been sure, but it sure looked like that judge's car. She had glanced at her clock and noticed it was just after 4 am. Why would anyone want to be out at that time of night? Edna thanked her. Was it worth mentioning? Not sure what to do, she waited to see who was coming to pick her up. Hopefully it was Frank. He was a better driver than Helen and her daughter had scared Edna a number of times. She wondered if she would have to report Helen to the authorities some day. After all, fair was fair. She found out that it was her daughter who had ratted her out at the police department and had arranged to have her license revoked. Edna had a long memory and was waiting for something to get her back with. She hoped someone would come soon. It was late and her feet hurt.

Frank pulled up to the loading zone at the funeral home and Edna tottered out . They were both quiet until just a few blocks from the house when Edna related what Margaret had said. Frank almost slammed on the brakes in his haste to stop. Quizzing Edna for all the information, he quickly dialed Ranger. After the quick Yo he had come to expect, Frank relayed the tidbit of information. Looking at Edna, he asked if she knew Margaret's address. After passing on the address, he snapped down the lid and continued home. Edna knew something was up. As they pulled into the driveway, she put her hand on his arm, and said, "She's still in trouble, isn't she?" Frank looked her way. He slowly nodded. "Edna, please try not to worry. Stephanie is being well looked after. She is not leaving the building until it is safe. Ranger will get to the bottom of it." What he didn't mention was that the danger had increased and might be coming from a number of directions at the same time. He enlisted her aid in not pressuring Stephanie to come for suppers at the house or to leave the safety of Rangeman for an errand. It would be her job to keep Helen at bay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Janet, I know you own them, but could we lease a couple?**

Plan Construction

Exhausted from the drive and lack of sleep, Gary and Mary drove into town. Finding a motel room in the secluded south district, they accepted the keys to one room with two queen beds. Too exhausted to shower or even change into sleep wear they fell onto their beds. They had asked for a wakeup call in six hours and fell asleep immediately. The loud ring of the phone woke them with a start and feeling confused both jumped at the interruption. Taking turns showering and changing, they exited the motel and climbed into the car once again. They had paid cash and used an assumed name. The clerk acted totally disinterested in anything but the cash. To a casual observer, it was evident that not many people used proper names here. Money talked and that was the only important detail.

With a coffee in hand Gary opened the new burned phone he had purchased in the convenience store. He dialed a number from memory. Talking quickly he asked for a safe place to stay for a few days and was given an address. Someone would be there to give him a key. Without thanking the voice, Gary shut off the phone. He looked at Mary. "How much cash do you have on you? I have a couple hundred, but that won't go far with gas, food, and rent." Mary nodded. "I have a thousand, but if we need more right away, I can go to the bank." Deciding that their resources were adequate for the time being, they drove to the house. It was in a seedy part of town. Their car fit right in. Stepping out cautiously, Mary looked around. She was becoming very uncomfortable with this whole situation. All she wanted to do was get out of the country. They would have to talk about it. Maybe staying together was not a good plan.

At Gary's knock, the door opened. A rail thin girl stood there. Gary told her who he had called, and she stepped back and let them in. The living room was very shabby, but clean. She led them to two bedrooms upstairs. Telling them to unpack as they needed, she headed back to the kitchen. After dropping their bags on the beds, they found themselves sitting at a table drinking coffee and eating a breakfast of donuts. The girl, named Shirley, left them to go to work. Now was the time to get some things finalized. Mary started. "I don't want to be here. I need to get going. I think my best option is to head down to Florida and take off from there. I could be on a train this afternoon." Gary played with his coffee cup. "I need to stay here. I have a lot of contacts and need to set up something. If you want, I can drive you to the bank. You will need a wad to flash around for what you want. I'm not sure you can protect yourself until you get to the Amtrac."

Mary thought about it. She did need help. Since the money was in the safety deposit box she could not take it out as she needed it. Agreeing to his help, she went back upstairs to the bedroom to re-pack what she would need. If she was going to a warm climate, she would not need the winter clothes she had packed. Deciding quickly, she left the now discarded clothes on the bed and brought the bag down. It would make it easier to put her money in the bag anyway until she could get a fanny pack. Gary stood at the door with his keys handy. Walking out, he closed the door and followed her to the car.

A black SUV cruised down the street past Margaret Holloway's house. Working slowly they drove up and down each block, checking front and back accesses for any sign of the yellow Lexus. This was an older neighborhood and the houses were close together. Unfortunately, there were many bushes and fences that obstructed a clear view. Working carefully, they finally reached the end of the street and a motel stood by a large grove of trees. They had a clear and unobstructed view of the front parking lot, but there appeared to be a path around the back. Tree branches had overgrown the driveway and scraped the roof and sides of the truck as they carefully drove in. The men spied the two cars they had been searching for. Reaching for his phone, Woody called control to advise them of their discovery. Ranger called him back. As he talked to Woody, Lester walked around to the office. He asked if the registration clerk had noticed the two cars there. The man shook his head no. He always parked in the front. There were no security lights or cameras out back and he wasn't paid enough to check anything back there. Lester left him a card and asked that if anyone came for the cars to let him know. The man grudgingly agreed. Lester was under no illusion that he would ever get a call. To be on the safe side, he got down on the ground and placed trackers on each of the cars.

Stephanie was now royally pissed off. In addition to having Ram on her shit list, she was now adding Bobby. No amount of whining and cajoling could get him to give her a day off. His only courtesy was not abusing her sore shoulder today. Now, in addition to her shoulder hurting so did her abs, thighs, and calves. She peeked around as she opened the gym door. She knew the security cameras on that floor had broken down and were off-line. Stephanie tiptoed to the stairway. If she hurried she could get out of the building before she was caught. She really, really needed a donut, probably two. Stephanie knew that Ranger wanted her to stay inside Rangeman but she was feeling antsy. Her peculiar reasoning had to do with the fact that he had not used the word, Please, so she was taking that as an under advisement request only. Taking the stairs two steps at a time, she opened the stairway door on the main floor. Tank was waiting for her with his arms crossed. Sighing, she slowly walked out of the stairway and let the door close behind her. She heard someone racing down the steps behind her. She hoped it wasn't Hal. Without a word, Tank escorted her over to the elevator. The door opened unbidden. Bobby was inside. His hands raised in a defensive posture and he backed up as he took a look at her face. Silently, she and Tank got into the elevator. Tank pressed the button for four and Bobby got out. The elevator door closed. Tank looked at her. "I'm surprised it took you this long to try to leave, Little Girl." He held a key fob in his hand. "Five or Seven?" Grumbling, she punched her own key fob to go to seven. She hoped Ella had resupplied her bath soaps and lotions. It was obvious that today she would be going without sweets. With visions of bubble baths, she fobbed open the apartment door and dropping clothes all the way, headed for the bathroom.

Tank observed her leave the elevator. It was good to have her back. He figured that it was only a matter of time before Stephanie would try to sneak out again. She was a magnet for disaster. He hoped that the security cameras and the men on duty at the desks were up to the challenge. He hated the thought that he might have to order her stunned, and he knew that she hated to stun someone else, but if they didn't get this situation under control fast, it could be Stun Guns at the OK Corral around here soon.

**I'm changing the rating on the next chapter, just to be on the safe side.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Janet owns all the characters. Yeah, they're characters all right!**

Who Is That Masked Man

Ranger observed the police flatbed load up the Lexus and the Nova. They had staked them out but by late afternoon nobody had come to claim them. It had been a long shot. Flipping up his phone, he called Tank. Tank was laughing as he said "Talk". Ranger waited a minute for him to calm down and barked, "Report". Tank laughed again then told him about the Bomber. He had been in the garage when he got a call that she was trying to sneak out. He hastened to mention that she had muttered to him about employees in third world countries and the need for a bubble bath. Ranger smiled. He jumped into his Porsche, buckled up and spun gravel on the way out of the parking lot.

Fobbing the elevator to seven he stepped into the apartment. Normally he liked a nice, neat, and clean environment, but the trail of clothing made his loins tighten. He could hear the swishing of the water. Quickly divesting himself of his weapons and web belt, he sat down and removing his socks and boots , tiptoed to the bathroom door. Metallica was blasting away and his babe was singing off key to it. Her eyes were closed and she looked delectable. Removing the rest of his uniform, he quietly moved to the tub, and slid in behind her. Her eyes flew open and a small squeak escaped from her mouth. He squelched the rest of her noise with a deep kiss. She moaned in happiness and settled back against him. He sighed and relaxed. Stephanie snuggled against his chest. "I missed you, Batman". Ranger smiled. His hands gently caressed her shoulders and started to head south. Pretty soon, he was fondling her breasts and her breathing quickened. His hands moved down to her stomach and gripped her hips. She was now starting to moan. Slowing down his movements, he softly caressed her and started to kiss her neck, her jawline, and down her shoulder. She turned around and straddled him. She arched her back and gently rubbed against him. He groaned and grasped her hips again, starting to move in unison with her. Slowly he entered her and they rocked back and forth. The water splashed against the sides of the tub as their movements became faster and faster. Screaming his name, she fell against him, limp. He held her against him and whispered words of endearment in her ear. Resting for just a few minutes to restore their energy, they started to respond to one another again. This time, it was more animated. Their hands flew over each other, enticing, tweaking, pinching, guiding, until once again their energy spent, they collapsed against each other. The water was getting cold and no bubbles remained. Ranger managed to stand up and assisted Stephanie out of the tub. Scooping her up bridal style he walked into the bedroom and laid her on the bed, joining her instantly. Once again, they grasped for each other and commenced another round of tender and expressive love making. Climaxing together they held each other as the tremors declined. Ranger pulled the covers over them both, and they slept in each other's arms.

Chatter heard through the police gang unit at the Trenton Police Force disclosed that something big was happening. Nobody could find out what it was about, but the gang members were excited enough that the officers were nervous. They had feelers out with their informants and word on the street was that there was a new player in town. A big deal was in the works. The different factions were coming together to co-ordinate their next coupe. Trenton would be in a state of shock. The squad room was abuzz with rumors and innuendo. Officers were being told to keep their eyes open and report anything that was out of the ordinary. They were advised to take extra safety precautions. The staff sergeant took the unprecedented step in calling Hector at Rangeman for his advice. Hector related all he knew and confirmed that the word on the street confirmed their suspicions. He was trying to get more information and would pass on what he learned. He was worried. Never before had the different factions appeared to come together for one common goal.

Dickie was going crazy. He hated to be cooped up. He wanted to do something. He had checked in with the police as required. He had watched tv until he was ready to scream. He had read the newspaper and gone on the computer. His mother had gone on out on some errands and to socialize with friends. He'd had lunch, and used the exercise room. He had already had two showers and was ready to have another just to make the time go. He was dreading supper with his parents. If he wasn't so lonely he would request his meals be served in his suite. He heard the doorbell ring softly in the distance. Just then, there was a knock at his door. Jeremy, the butler looked in and advised him he had a visitor. He would not say who it was and Dickie was bored enough not to care. He put on his shoes and left his room. The door to the study was closed and he knew that Jeremy would escort the visitor there. Curious, he opened the door. Inside with his back to Dickie was someone in a uniform. The man turned around. His hair was cut short in a military style and he was wearing glasses and a beard. Dick gasped and closed the door. It was Joe Morelli.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Janet owns these characters. I am only doing this for fun, no money is changing hands.**

Where Are You Babe?

Gary drove Mary to the bank. He waited outside as she went in to empty the money from her security box. As he started to wonder what the delay was, she came out with her bag over her shoulder. Opening the car door, she sat down heavily and put on her seatbelt. The bag lay on her lap. Closing the door, she told him to drive away but not to make a scene. Mary knew this part of town very well. She had grown up here. She had attended school here. She had friends here. She was in her element for the first time in months. She was feeling excited. Her plan was coming together. She gave him directions to the Amtrac station. Gary glanced at her sideways as she was transferring the money into a fanny pack and snapping it around her waist. She pulled her sweater over her waist concealing the pack and smiled. Gary stealthily took the stun gun out of his pocket and before she could say anything, he touched it to her arm and pressed the trigger. Mary slumped over with her head leaning against the door. Gary smiled. His plan was coming together.

Frank received a call from Ranger. He wanted to thank Edna for her help in finding the two cars. Unfortunately they had no further information to give at this time, but he would keep him in the loop. Frank hung up. He was getting too old for this, he thought. He knew that Ranger was doing all he could to get this situation under control. He had the utmost confidence in his soon –to-be son in law. He thought back to all the times that Joe and Stephanie had been "on". Never had he invited Joe into his personal domain, the garage. He never watched sports with him, smoked cigars with him, drank beer with him, or really had a meaningful conversation with him. Frank and Ranger had spent time in the garage at the back of his house. They both loved the experience of a good cigar. Frank's garage now sported two easy chairs. His bar fridge contained two kinds of beer. His radio was now programmed with some Spanish channels. Baseball was universal. Once this new threat was neutralized he and Helen were going to re-assess their residency. He wanted to retire for good and move to a warmer climate. They had discussed what to do with the house.

Edna had stayed in Stephanie's apartment for only a month while she was in prison and then moved back to the house. She didn't like that the elevator didn't always work. She especially didn't like, when it did work that that busy body, Mrs. Bessler pretended to be an elevator operator. The heat didn't regulate properly and the hot water was inconsistent. She hated looking down at the parking lot. The fire escape shook in the wind and sounded creepy. She found the neighbors too nosy. Her friends were in the Burg and this place was too far away. She had contacted Dillon and arranged to move her stuff out and back to the house. Frank hoped that Edna would move into a senior's complex soon, very soon.

Hector had been busy. He was seen on the streets and in the back alleys. He had left word that he was willing to pay dearly for information and tidbits were trickling in. Just as he thought of coming in to bring Ranger up to speed, he heard about a meeting planned for late that evening. Hiding in the shadows, Hector observed a meeting of the gang leaders from various factions. They strutted in with their muscle and made a big show of posturing for their comrades. After setting down the ground rules for the meet, they began to exchange ideas. There were two subjects on the agenda. The first one confirmed that for this mission only, the gangs were acting as one. They would be accepting and distributing merchandise coming in from New York shortly. It was a huge shipment. They were heading in another direction. Prostitutes were old news. Drugs were passe. The topic was guns, lots of guns. There was a new supplier. The gangs would be responsible for delivering the merchandise . It promised to be a win-win situation. As payment, they would be receiving some very advanced weaponry. Everyone was excited. This was a new direction. Discussion was tabled for a later date when everything would be finalized.

On to the new topic. Stephanie Plum. Members from every gang had been taken in by her. They all wanted to make a statement, and getting rid of her appealed to them all. Many suggestions were thrown out from the simple to the outrageous. Lookouts reported that she was holed up in Rangeman. One group thought that they might be able to commandeer a Rangeman vehicle and gain admittance to the building through the garage. Another gang wanted to kidnap her relatives . Another plan unfolded. Hector leaned closer. All of a sudden he felt a presence behind him and glanced back in time to see the gun butt aiming at his head. He dropped to the ground immediately. Blood was pouring out of the wound. The two men quickly grabbed him and dragged him into the middle of the meeting. He never felt the kicks to his ribs and kidneys. He never felt the boot crushing his nose. He never felt anything as they broke both legs.

Rangeman was monitoring the police channels as the call came in for a wounded man on Comstock St. The phone rang at Rangeman. The injured man was Hector. The ambulance was taking him to St. Francis. He was listed in critical with multiple wounds. Tank immediately phoned Ranger. He came running into the control room with Stephanie on his heels. After a short description of the injuries, Ranger and Tank prepared to go to the hospital. As they climbed into the truck, Stephanie jumped in too. There was no time to waste, so they told her to buckle up and dashed out of the garage. A number of other SUV's prepared to follow them. Suddenly their way was blocked by cars and they were stuck in the doorway. Meanwhile, Ranger was flying down the road when suddenly his truck was broadsided and pushed into another vehicle. The air bags deployed blinding them. As the vehicle came to a shuddering stop, the doors were wrenched open and they were surrounded with guns levelled at them. Stephanie was pulled from the back of the vehicle and pushed into a waiting van. It sped off. Ranger and Tank were helpless. The Bomber had been taken. Someone threw a smoke grenade and as the smoke filtered everywhere, the assailants melted away. Seconds later, the support vehicles came racing up to them. Ranger was out of the damaged truck, and on the phone. He contacted the control room to check on Stephanie through her trackers. Unfortunately, in her rush she had left everything on seven. She had vanished.

Ranger issued orders for everyone to be on the lookout for a van matching the description of the get-away vehicle. Not ten minutes later, a call came in that there was an abandoned van a few blocks away. Stephanie's clothes were inside and it looked like there had been a struggle. Ranger was beside himself. He sent Tank on to the hospital with Hector's medical information and grabbed a ride to the abandoned van with one of the other vehicles. His own version of a nightmare was coming true. Les and Cal were standing by the van. Ranger raced over to take a look. Inside were Stephanie's outer clothes. There was blood on the clothes and the floor. As he sat down on the curb and put his head in his hands, he said softly, "Where are you Babe?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I wish I was related to Janet, then I could own Ranger.**

**Thank you for everyone who found me and sent me reviews and personal messages. You have no idea how appreciative I am. **

Kidnapped

Morelli looked at Dickie Orr. Even though the glasses were perched on his nose and the full beard covered both lip and lower face, he looked totally disgusted. "I hope you realize that I might have blown a perfectly good cover to be here," ground out Joe. "I am going to say this only once. You WILL help me get those two back into custody and I MIGHT consider petitioning the judge to let you serve your term in a less imposing prison. Personally I think you should rot in hell for what you did, but this is the time for you to step up and be a man." Dick swallowed nervously. He was not a stupid man and believed this might be his only hope to salvage something of a very, very bad situation.

Joe pointed to a chair and gestured for Dick to sit. He paced back and forth, muttering and flapping his arms. That little vein on the side of Joe's neck was pulsing. He pulled out a cell phone. "This is for you. I have programmed in my number. I am expecting your phone call with some information very, very soon. I know that you have been in contact with that asshole Picky. You will contact him and state that you will turn states evidence unless he can get you out. Assure him you have lots of money to get away. Reassure him that you only want to leave the country, and that you have no intention of double crossing him. Something is going down and you need to move fast. Word out on the streets is that he is planning on making a move soon and time is of the essence. I know someone who can get you out of that bracelet. You will have to use one of your vehicles. Once that bracelet is de-activated, the police will be looking for you. This is your one chance to make something good of yourself. Do I make myself clear?" Dick swallowed and nodded. It sounded like a life sentence both ways, but he liked the odds better with Joe than the alternative. He agreed to help.

Waiting outside in his personal vehicle, Eddie sat patiently. He had known Joe for a long time. He did not always agree with his methods and the way he treated Stephanie bordered on criminal but he was willing to look past it all today. Joe was taking a huge chance coming here. It would put his life in danger. Eddie vowed to help him all he could. He would start with a safe place to stay. His mom was away for a month long trip and Eddie was watching the house for her. Joe could bunk in there and work from that location. It was not in the Burg so the busybodies on the street would have nobody to tattle to. He had already stocked it with beer and snacks and hoped that they would have time to sit down for a few after this was all over. Good Lord, he hoped it would turn out OK. Their friend and former lover could really get herself into a pickle.

Hector slowly woke up. He was in a bed and there were strange beeping noises. He was trying to figure out where he was. He only remembered bits and pieces. He tried to shift his body. He couldn't move his legs. His sides hurt. Damn it, everything hurt. He could hear someone shifting on a chair beside him. His eyes slowly opened. Tank was watching him. When Hector finally focussed on Tank, he tried to speak. He had never been in a hospital before and the tube down his throat made it impossible to talk. Tank was up and stood by the bed. He put his hand on Hector's arm. "Rest Hector. You are in the hospital. You're safe here. I have guys guarding the door. You're pretty banged up but you will be OK. " Hector tried to convey the alarming news he had, but he felt himself tumbling down a dark tunnel. He closed his eyes and drifted off. Tank sighed and sat down again. He had been in contact with Rangeman. It had been six hours since Stephanie had been grabbed. Everyone was out looking for her. No leads so far. Ranger was blaming himself. He knew she should have stayed in the building. Tank waited for his relief.

Ranger knocked on the door. Frank answered and knew that it was bad news. As he stepped back and motioned Ranger to enter, Helen and Edna came into the living room. They had been washing and drying the breakfast dishes and the towels were still in their hands. One look at his face and their hands flew up to cover their mouths in horror. Motioning for him to sit down, Frank, Helen and Edna took seats facing him and asked for any details. "I don't have much right now", Ranger said. "I blame myself. We received a call that one of our men had been severely beaten and was being rushed to the hospital. Stephanie jumped into the vehicle with Tank and I and we didn't take the time to get her back out. The chase vehicles were delayed at the garage gate and our vehicle was blindsided. They grabbed her and threw her into a van and took off. We were being held at gunpoint by multiple assailants. They threw a smoke grenade and got away. We found the van a few blocks away. It looks like there was a struggle. As of this moment, we have no leads."

Stephanie took stock of her situation. OK, from her viewpoint, it didn't look good. After taking a punch to her jaw which knocked her out, she had no idea where she was. She had fought valiantly when she was grabbed. She had managed a few good punches and kicks before she was overpowered. Her hands were bound behind her. Her feet were also bound. She was only dressed in her bra and panties. She assumed that they would figure any trackers would be in her outer clothes. She wished she had taken time to grab her purse. This meant that Rangeman had no idea where she was. She hoped that Hector had a line on what was happening. Muffling a sob, she took a look around. It felt like a basement from the condition of the floor and the damp coolness. It was pitch black and she had no idea what time it was. She shivered, Curling up as small as she could, she tried to relax and conserve body heat. Sleep claimed her eventually.

Not sure how much later, Stephanie tried to relax her cramped muscles. Her hands and feet were numb and her muscles ached. She looked up as the door opened. She could see someone in the doorway and prepare to walk down the stairs. In his hand was a cellphone. As he came down the stairs she could hear laughter upstairs. She heard jubilant voices and what sounded like high fives given and received. She cringed as she heard what they were discussing. It appeared that she was on the menu. Her blood ran cold. Looking up at the man now standing in front of her, she tried to defend herself as best she could. He laughed and jerked her up painfully by her arms. She knew she would have bruises from the heavy handling. She was standing precariously on numb feet. Her captor was roughly holding her by her hair with one hand and the cellphone in the other. He laughed at her ineffective attacks and punched in some numbers. Listening to a greeting, he put the phone to her ear. He commanded her, "Talk". Stephanie took a shaky breath and said "Hello."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: JE owns everyone but Red. I wonder what color his hair is?**

The Phone Call

Zero and Vince were manning the control room. The phone rang. It was a blocked cellphone number. Rangeman protocol dictated that call tracing be started immediately. Zero opened up the line with the standard, Rangeman Securities, How May I Help You statement. There was silence, then "talk". A hesitant, "Hello", came over the line. Zero was frantically motioning Vince to get someone to the monitoring station, anyone. He said into the phone, "Stephanie, is that you? Hey honey, can you tell me where you are? Are you ok?" He could hear a thud and a gasp. Zero could hear a moan and what sounded like something or someone being dropped. A disguised voice came on the line. "We've got our snatch. We're going to have lots of fun with her. The contract can now be completed." The line went dead. Ranger raced into the room. Zero was madly pushing buttons. "He wasn't on very long, but I got a partial triangulation, Ranger. The call came from just outside Trenton. "

Ranger started to bellow orders. He needed teams to start preparing for an invasion. Taking his phone, he called Tank. Tank answered and said he was just pulling into the garage and would stay downstairs. There was a stampede for the stairs to the weapons locker. Orders were being shouted and men were dressing for all contingencies. Everyone was donning vests. Extra weapons were being strapped on. Bobby was quickly re-checking his mobile medical supplies. Night vision goggles were being handed out. Some men were carrying rapelling gear and ropes. Ram had his sniper case in hand. Men were quickly piling into the vehicles and the garage door opened. Trucks screamed out of the building. Vince and Zero looked at each other. It sucked to be left behind.

Hector slowly opened his eyes again. Red was now in the chair at his bedside. He rang the bell and a nurse came in with a tray. After removing his breathing tube, he sucked on the water with the straw Red was holding . Hector spoke with difficulty. He tried to report all he had learned to Red, but he put his hand on Hector's arm to stop him. It was old news. Hector's eyes misted when he heard that Stephanie had been grabbed. He had heard how they wanted to hurt her before finishing the job. Red reassured him that they were doing all they could to find her. Just then, a nurse came in with a syringe. Hector held his hand up. He needed to give Red some more information and needed a few minutes. The nurse made a disapproving sound but grudgingly left the room. Hector was gripping the bed sheet in his fist from the pain. He had sweat on his brow. His eyes locked with his co-worker. His brow was furrowed in concentration. He vaguely remembered a two story house on an acreage intersecting Highways 219 and Range Road 10. Long ago it used to be a gang party house and he had attended a lot of raunchy parties there. He remembered that there always used to be girls there, some willingly. Maybe they took her there. He groaned. When the nurse returned he did not refuse the pain medication. His eyes closed. Red took out his phone and called the control room. They would get the information out to Ranger. He settled back down in his chair. He suspected he would not be relieved for some time.

Stephanie could hear the party going on upstairs. It was becoming louder and more profane. They had left the basement door ajar and she could hear everything. After the phone call, she had been gagged, kicked in the ribs for resisting and roughly dumped on the floor and left in the dark. She could hear the laughter. She shuddered and the tears flowed. They were now taking bets on how many ways she could be raped. She heard them bragging who would get to do her first, and then the next one, and so on and so on. She also heard that their leader wanted the last piece for himself. They were speculating on how he would do it. They hoped he would let them watch. They joked that she looked like a screamer. Would she beg. Stephanie hoped that Ranger had some idea where she was. If they could not find her she was in deep, deep trouble.

She struggled against her bonds. They would not loosen. She was completely helpless. The gag was tight and hurt. Her face stung from the punches. She was having trouble seeing out of one eye. Stephanie tried not to move too much and agitate her sore side. Looking around she figured she might as well stay where she was. The floor was dirt but small sharp rocks embedded themselves in her bare skin when she tried to move. There was nowhere to hide here and nothing to defend herself with. She stopped struggling and waited for what was about to happen. She hoped she would be given a chance to defend herself. Her thoughts turned to Ranger. She could feel the ring on her finger. With difficulty she twirled it around. It gave her some comfort that Rangeman was looking for her. A tear slid down her cheek. They had finally declared their love for each other and were looking forward to their Someday. She hoped that they would get to enjoy it.

Dick dialed the number he had memorized. He passed on the information and waited for an answer. Gary's voice spoke. "Meet me at our agreed upon place. You have three hours." Dick heard a dial tone. Pressing the programmed key he relayed the information. He called for the maid and ordered coffee and a fruit plate to be served on the patio. As he waited for his meal, he attempted to re-read the newspaper. His hands were shaking so hard, the paper rustled. Dick wondered when he would eat again. He had not missed many meals in his life. A doorbell ring sounded in the house. Jeremy walked to the door. Opening it to a slim, young female holding a briefcase she asked to speak with Mr. Dick Orr. Ushering her into the study, he found Dick and told him of the visitor. Dick walked to the study door and opened it. Closing it behind him, he stood waiting for instructions. She motioned him over to the ottoman and asked him to lift his pant leg. Swiftly she took a tool from the briefcase, knelt down and quickly removed the bracelet, locking it together again and placing it under a couch cushion. Closing her briefcase, she stood up, and walked out the door. Dickie checked his watch. He had just over an hour to get to the rendeavous. He quickly put on his jacket sitting on the back of the chair, and quietly moved outside toward one of the garages. He selected a blue Acura and quickly drove out of the estate. He hoped he was not making a huge mistake. He figured he had less than an hour before the police showed up at the house.

Gary was euphoric. His plan was working. Pretty soon he would have Dick Orr out of the picture. He would have enough money to hide anywhere. He had resurrected his New York contacts and they were waiting for his go ahead to proceed. He already had some deals confirmed and just needed the final details tied up in Trenton. Once he tied up all the loose ends he planned never to step foot in New Jersey again. His gang would be allowed to run the new merchandise he had procured and they were planning on bringing in other gangs for back up. He chuckled to himself. Mary had planned his final step for him. He would leave through Florida and never be seen again. He would now have enough money to live comfortably for many years.

The party was in full swing. The lookouts were jealous. They had drawn the short straw on everything. They had to stay out here. They were missing out on having some fun with the cute girl inside. Hell, they probably wouldn't even be able to watch as their boss finished her off. Sometimes it didn't pay to be the new guy. Feeling sorry for themselves they never noticed the vegetation move. Before they knew what had happened they were bound and gagged. The Merry Men had them secured with Binkie standing guard. One look from him and their struggles ceased. They were not willing to take him on right now. His face had KILL all over it. They sighed. It looked like juvie for them again.

Ram was setting up in a tree. He had a good view of the front door. The windows had all been boarded up and there appeared to be no windows in the basement. Lester was checking out the back. The view was the same. Both reported to Ranger. Les and his team checked their weapons. Their job was to burst in at the same time as Ranger's team. Tank's team would follow and clear out the second floor. There was no chatter on the mikes. Everyone knew their job. This is what they trained for, but there was an added reason. They hoped they were in time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Janet owns all the characters. I am only playing with them for awhile. **

Time to Go

On Rangers signal, the assault began. Ranger burst in the front door as Lester broke down the back. The house filled with men in black. There was a lot of screaming and scrambling for weapons, but it was evident that they would be no match. Quickly the inhabitants were rounded up and subdued. Most of them appeared to be unable to walk. Dragging them out the doors, the Merry Men deposited them in the weeds surrounding the house. Their mouths were taped and they were handcuffed and shackled without incident. Tank and his team had raced up the stairs to the second floor. There was no sign Stephanie had been there. He trooped down the stairs dejected. Ranger noticed the door to the basement and signalled his intention. Bobby and Woody nodded. As they crept to the door, they noticed it was pitch black down the stairs. Listening carefully they heard no noises coming from below. Putting on their night vision goggles they prepared to descend. Ranger peeked around the corner. Laying on the hard floor at the base of the stairs covered in dirt was Stephanie. She was not moving. Glancing around the basement he didn't see anybody else. Quickly signalling the men behind him Ranger raced down the stairs and fell to his knees by her. She was laying there bound and gagged. Tears were falling and staining her face. Her eyes were big as saucers and her beautiful blue eyes were the shade of black onyx. Cradling her to his chest he called for Bobby to turn on the light and hurry down. Woody was following now with Bobby's bag. Quickly looking in her eyes Bobby spoke, "She's in deep shock. We've got to get her out of here." Ranger had already cut off her bindings and removed her gag. He wrapped her in the emergency blanket Bobby handed him. Ranger picked her up and climbed the stairs. By now, a Rangeman vehicle had pulled up to the front door. He gently sat her on the tailgate so Bobby could get a better look at her. There was a deep bruise on her chin from one punch. Her left eye was puffy. She was scratched and dirty. Both hands and feet were deeply chaffed from the tight bindings. She was favoring her right side and her knuckles were bruised. She was starting to tremble. Bobby rummaged in his bag for a needle and IV bag of saline to counteract the shock.

Ram walked to the back of the truck. Stephanie noticed that he had his rifle slung on his shoulder as she sat holding the blanket around her. She hugged him. "When's my next lesson, coach," she asked. He laughed. "I need to reschedule it, Bomber. You messed it up on me." Glimpsing a flash in the corner of her eye, she looked over his right shoulder. She saw Gary at the edge of the clearing. He had a rifle against his shoulder and was aiming it at them. Without missing a beat, she let go of the blanket, grabbed the butt of the gun, lifted it up from under Ram's arm, and pulled the trigger. Everyone froze, then there was a flurry of movement. Gary lay on the ground, his rifle beside him. Eric ran over to him, kicked the rifle away from his hand, and checked the pulse on his neck. He looked at Ranger and shook his head. All eyes turned to Stephanie. She had a look of horror on her face. Ram looked behind him and then back to her. A grin creased his face. "Damn, Bomber, you did good. Can you teach me that move?" Stephanie blushed but kept quiet. She had killed again. Ranger wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Proud of you Babe."

Just then, Dickie staggered out of the bush. He was clutching his stomach. He collapsed on the ground. Eric, who was the nearest raced to his side calling for Bobby. There was blood seeping between Dickie's fingers. His face was pale and his breathing was shallow. Bobby frantically ripped his shirt open and started to press compression bandages over the wound. He yelled for Eric to call an ambulance. Another figure stepped from the woods. He raised his hands as he saw the guns pointed at him. Ranger stepped away from Stephanie and marched over to Joe. Motioning for the men to holster their weapons, he shook his hand. Joe walked with him back to the Explorer. He took one look at Stephanie and sighed. "I need more Maalox. You're killing me, Cupcake." Stephanie jumped off the tailgate and gave him a hug. "Joe, you're back." He looked down. Then he raised his eyes and looked back at her. "I got a call and had to come and try to help. I still love you, you know." He hugged her one more time. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Joe let go. He turned to Ranger and shook his hand. Joe turned on his heel and started to walk away. His pace slowed and he turned back one more time. "Look after her, Manosa ,please." He walked away and disappeared into the woods.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Thanks Janet for your stories. I enjoyed borrowing these characters. **

Someday

Two ambulances were called. Trenton Police Department sent a number of cars. Dickie was loaded into the first ambulance and rushed away. Eddie went with him. Stephanie watched the ambulance leave. By now, she was dressed in Ranger's t shirt which hung to her knees. She was arguing with him that she didn't need to go to the hospital. She looked at Bobby for support. He shook his head and crossed his arms. Defeated, she allowed them to lay her on a gurney and roll her into the ambulance. Ranger jumped in with her and they were off. All the way, he held her hand. The other one was strapped down and an IV was inserted and flowing. She was bruised, battered, dusty and needed a bath. After promising that Ella would have one ready when she got back, Stephanie drifted to sleep. Ranger looked down at her. Dirty, wounded, and hair dishevelled , she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met. He wondered if he would ever get to the point where he would need something to calm his nerves every time his babe got into trouble. My God, this woman aged him.

Tank stayed back and answered questions forever. He wanted to get back to town and check on the Bomber. Finally, the police vans left with the captured gang members. The whole group would be up on charges. Some of them were juvenile but there were a lot of adult members. The Coroner had finished his examination and the body of Gary Gaspick was being loaded for a trip to the morgue. Tank thought of the part that Joe had participated in. He and Ranger had met him out of town. After explaining the situation, Joe had enlisted Eddie as his contact in the police department. He wanted to and needed to keep a very low profile. He was working a case near New York that might or might not tie in with the activities in Trenton. He had accepted an assignment to flush out someone selling advanced weapons from the military arsenal. His assignment might just be expanded. He was now looking at a year and a half to wrap it up if he could find the common denominator. Joe's military training was coming in handy.

Tank sent a prayer heavenward. Another disaster had been averted. Little Girl was basically unharmed, Joe had hopefully come out unscathed, Gary was dead and he suspected so was Mary. Dickie was not out of the woods, but he had helped to flush out Gary. Les Sebring had been advised of the need to remove the bracelet and had approved the procedure with the permission of the judge. Dick's bond would not be in danger. Maybe the judge would take pity on him. Climbing into his Hummer, Tank turned the key. He wanted something soothing. Pushing in the CD, he punched up the volume. The 1812 Overture came on. Perfect. He loved the sound of cannons.

Ranger stayed with Stephanie as she was checked over in the hospital. Other than scrapes, bruises, and dehydration, she was cleared for release. A Merry Man had delivered a duffle of clothes from Ella and Stephanie changed into them in the bathroom after a long shower. Murmuring that Ella was a god, she had showered with some Bulgari gel and washed her hair. There were scrunchies for her hair and her favorite runners. Leaving the bathroom, she walked over to Ranger who was sitting in a chair. He was lounging back, relaxing. He was still wearing only his Kevlar vest over that gorgeous sculptured chest. Licking her lips at the view, she gave him a kiss. "I want to go see Hector. Then I need to see Dickie. I need to thank them both." Ranger agreed. He had not been in to see Hector yet.

They walked hand in hand to the elevator to take them to the surgical ward. Standing outside the room stood Doug and Danny. They were new hires at Rangeman and were taking their jobs very seriously. Coming to attention at the sight of Ranger they saluted. He smiled and told them to relax. Sending Stephanie in to see Hector, he closed the door and explained to the guys that while he was their boss, they were not in the military anymore. They could call him Ranger or Boss. Relaxing slightly, the men acknowledged his orders. Ranger walked into the room.

Stephanie was seated in the chair and was holding Hector's hand. She was smiling at him. He was telling her how sorry he was that she got kidnapped. He blamed himself. She shushed him and asked how he felt. His legs were both casted and his face was very bruised. He hoped to be out soon. Ranger came to the bed and shook his hand. He mentioned that he had an apartment on four waiting for him when the doctor's released him. He put up his hand as Hector tried to protest that his family could take care of him. Ranger asked how he would be able to manage with two broken legs in a house with only one bathroom on the main floor. All the bedrooms were upstairs. There would be no room for him to stay at his mother's house. Hector stopped protesting. He knew that he would get the best of care from Bobby and he would have lots of company. He would probably have too much company! Stephanie spoke up. "If you stay in one place for awhile, you can teach me Spanish, Hector. I really want to know what everyone is talking about." He smiled. Hector was starting to tire so Ranger and Stephanie got up to leave. Thanking them both for visiting, he closed his eyes. They tiptoed out of the room.

Next was Dickie. This time, there was a Trenton Police Officer in front of the door. He nodded at Ranger and opened the door letting them enter. Dickie was awake. He was attached to an IV and a heart rate monitor. Ranger stayed back. This was between the two of them. Stephanie walked slowly to his bed. He looked very pale and she could see the bandages peeking out above his hospital pants. She saw he was handcuffed to the railing. Looking at him, she mentally shuddered as she could visualize everything once again from her own attack and recovery. Dickie tried to speak. He croaked instead. She took a glass of water and put the straw in his mouth for him to suck. Thanking her, she put it down on the table again. Finally, Dick spoke. "I really screwed up this time Steph. I'm sorry that I put you through everything. My father has been very forthright about my sentence and where I will probably be spending the rest of my life. If I could do it all again, I would hope that I made different choices. "

Stephanie grimaced. One part of her doubted his sincerity, Yet, the gentler and more considerate side hoped he meant what he said. She did not want to consider how his sentence would go. He was probably the only one left of the three. She hoped the judge took pity on the fact that he had drawn out Gary. She prepared to leave. Dick spoke again. "I had Eddie contact the D.A. I want to change my plea to Guilty. I don't want to put my family or you through anymore." Stephanie pondered her next remark. "I'm not sure I will ever forgive you for what you did, Dick, but I will think of you and what you will be going through." With that, she walked out of his room with Ranger by her side.

They walked hand in hand down the hallway to the elevator. The Porsche was parked and waiting in the loading zone. Ranger handed her into the car and reaching over her, buckled her seatbelt. He placed a gentle kiss on her mouth. Grinning, he closed the door and ran around to jump into the driver's seat. Putting the car into gear, he said, "Are you ready to go to the Batcave, Babe?" She glimpsed the suitcases in the back. "As long as I am with you, Carlos."

Definitely The End This Time

**Thanks for all the reviews and personal messages. Once again, I had a lot of fun writing this. **


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